Speaker tasked with deciding fate of Ranjan’s recordings

• Speaker to decide what material should be withheld as it could impact privacy, standards of P’ment

The Committee on Parliamentary Business decided yesterday to allow Speaker Karu Jayasuriya to examine the Compact Discs (CDs) of the phone recordings of MP Ranjan Ramanayake and decide whether to release them to MPs.

The committee which met yesterday discussed the issue at length and then decided to allow the Speaker to make the final decision.

The CDs of the recorded telephone conversations were handed over to the Hansard Department of Parliament by MP Ranjan Ramanayake on Wednesday. 

Accordingly, the committee members directed the Parliament officials to submit the CDs to the Speaker for his perusal so he can decide which should be made public as some contents could be prejudicial to some people and also harm their privacy as well as affect “national prejudice”. 

The decision to table the CDs was deferred until the decision of the Speaker.